A Variation on an Iconic Belgian Dish

Carbonnade Flamande is one of Belgium’s iconic dishes – a beef, onion and beer stew that can be found on almost every restaurant menu. In Brussels, and elsewhere, a variation of this popular dish is made with pork and it is, to many, even better than the beef version. On a cold winter or early spring day, there’s nothing quite as comforting as a warm bowl of this fantastic dish.

The good news is that you can easily make it at home and it’s a great make-ahead for when you’re having people over or just having your hungry family dig in.

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs Boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt) - cut into 2” pieces

  • 8 ozs Thick-cut bacon - chopped

  • 4 Medium onions - cut into 1/4” slices

  • 14.5 ozs Canned whole tomatoes - rinsed and chopped

  • 1/4 cup All-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup Finely chopped cornichons (tiny French pickles)

  • 6 sprigs Fresh thyme

  • 4 cloves Garlic - chopped

  • 3 Tb Olive oil

  • 1.5 Tb Kosher salt

  • 1 tsp Black pepper - freshly ground

  • 1 Tb Table sugar

  • 1-1/2 cups Chicken stock (low sodium)

  • 2 Tb Wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

  • 1 Bay leaf

  • 1 pinch Ground clove

  • 1 bottle Belgian Trappist dark ale - Dubbel or Quadrupel

  • 1/3 cup Thinly sliced cornichons (Garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

  2. In a large Dutch oven, cook bacon with a sprig of thyme until crispy. Remove and drain on paper towel, reserving 2 Tb bacon fat.

  3. Add 1 Tb bacon fat and 1 Tb olive oil to Dutch oven. Dry pork with paper towels and season with 1/2 Tb salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Add one half of the pork to the pan and brown on all sides, making sure the pieces do not touch. When browned, remove pork and juices to a bowl. Season the remaining half of the pork with salt and pepper, add remaining 1 Tb of bacon fat and 1 Tb olive oil to Dutch oven; brown pork and add to bowl.

  4. Add remaining 1 Tb olive oil to pan and sauté onions, sugar and 1/2 Tb salt for 12 to 15 minutes until medium golden brown. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more, scraping up brown bits from bottom of the pan. Add flour and cook until lightly browned - about 2 minutes.

  5. Stir in chicken broth, then beer, tomatoes, vinegar, chopped cornichons, bay leaf, bacon, remaining thyme sprigs and pork pieces with juices. Bring to simmer, cover and place in preheated oven.

  6. Cook in oven for 1 hour, then remove cover and cook for 2 hours more until sauce is thick and pork is fork-tender. 

  7. Let rest for 30 minutes, removing thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Add in thinly sliced cornichons (if desired) and serve with egg noodles, steamed new potatoes or frites.

Enjoy with a Belgian Dubbel or Quadrupel.

Charlie GottenkienyComment